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Summary

Learn more about the McAfee Security Console and its benefits. You can also learn how to shred or clean computer files and folders in Security Center.

Solution

What is McAfee Security Console?

The Security Console on your computer desktop is part of your free Cox Security Suite Powered by McAfee®. It is a powerful security solution that allows you to monitor the security status on your computer and to know instantly whether virus, spyware, email, and firewall protection services are up-to-date.

How can it help me?

You can use this tool to maintain computer privacy by protecting your documents and files.

For additional help with any Security Center feature visit the McAfee Community.Click Home and Home Office, then under Communities on the left, click Security Console.

The McAfee Shredder tool lets you permanently delete items on your computer that you no longer need. You can use this tool the same way you would use a paper shredder to safely dispose of your private files. The difference between the shredder and actions you normally perform, such as delete files and folders, empty your recycle bin, or delete your temporary Internet files folder, you can still recover this information. Shredded items cannot be recovered.

How can it help me?

The tool is designed to protect your privacy. For instance, if you sell or donate your computer, no one will be able to use or see the items you shred.

When you use the McAfee Shredder tool to delete the contents of your recycle bin and temporary Internet files, it makes sure that information cannot be recovered. You can also use the McAfee Shredder tool to delete the entire contents of a removable drive, including external hard drives or USB drives.

You can decide how many times you want to shred an item. The more times you shred the item the more confident you can be that your private information will not be recovered.

The 5 types of shredding are:

Quick - shreds the item once.

Basic - sheds the item twice.

Safe - shreds the item five times.

Comprehensive - shreds the item seven times.

Complete - shreds the item 10 times.

To begin, double-click the McAfee Security Console icon in your task bar or on your desktop.

Shred Items on Your Computer

Under Features expand Data Protection.

Click Shredder.Tip: You can also access the shredder under the Navigation link at the top right of the console.

Choose from one of the following:

Recycle Bin - Delete the contents of the recycle bin.

Temporary Internet Files - Delete the contents of this folder.

Click Shred, then confirm your choice in the confirmation dialog box.

Click Shred again as many times as you want to shred the item.

Note: If you check Let me choose, then click Shred, you will be able to decide which files to shred from another location. After choosing the folder, click Shred. The Browse for Folder pop-up displays. Choose the item you want to shred.

Warning! Items shredded cannot be recovered so be sure you want to shred them before performing these actions.

A summary window will show you the number of times you shredded an item and what items could not be shredded. If you minimize your Cox Security Suite software while the tool is running, an alert displays this information.

Clean Items on Your Computer

McAfee QuickClean tool deletes unnecessary files, freeing up space and optimizing your computer's performance. This tool cleans files and folders you specify. You can use the tool to free up space on your computer as needed or schedule it to clean your computer regularly and automatically. Below is a list of items you can clean and why you may want to do so.

Choose...

If you want to clean...

Recycle bin

Files in the trash bin.

Shortcuts

Broken shortcuts not associated with a program.

Temporary files

Files stored in temporary folders.

Windows history

Files in Recent Documents folder.

Lost file fragments

File fragments.

Note: You can tell these by the torn paper icon on your desktop.

ActiveX controls

Software used by some programs or web pages. Most ActiveX controls are harmless while others might capture information from your computer.

Registry

Registry information for programs no longer on your computer.

Jump lists

Document lists, songs, or websites you access a lot.

Note: Windows 7 and higher

Flash and Silverlight cookies

Files stored as temp files when you visit sites that use a flash player or Silverlight to play media files. Flash and Silverlight cookies store more information than regular cookies and can be used by websites to collect information about your browsing habits.

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